# Date: 1904

In Lenin's archive, in addition to the manuscript of his letter to the editorial board of the "Commentary" cited above, there has been preserved a fragment of an earlier draft of the letter, which represents a variant of the fourth paragraph (beginning with the words: "In particular, private conversations" and ending with the words: "if necessity for it should arise").

This fragment-variant of the letter, printed below, is of particular interest by virtue of the new facts communicated in it concerning Plekhanov's statements against the minority at a private enlarged meeting of the supporters of the majority that took place during the Congress of the League.

185.
19119

V. I. Lenin.

* FRAGMENT-VARIANT OF A LETTER TO THE EDITORIAL BOARD
OF THE PAMPHLET "COMMENTARY ON THE PROTOCOLS
OF THE SECOND CONGRESS OF THE FOREIGN LEAGUE
OF THE R. R. S.-D."

[Second half of February, no later than the 20th, 1904. Geneva.]

Since Comrade Plekhanov has undertaken such an interesting and instructive matter as acquainting the public with his private conversations, he will continue it, let us hope. He will probably recount with all the circumstance and detail his next two conversations. The first, when he spoke of the *grève générale des généraux*, of wretched people, when he quoted with effect the phrase: "er ist ein Mann, und sie sind alte Weiber"** and assured us that he would absolutely, yes absolutely write a pamphlet under the title: "Thermidor in a Shot Glass." The second, when he demonstrated the moral responsibility before the majority of those who are empowered by that majority, and compared people who consider party institutions unchangeable in composition with rats that had grown together by their tails. [Let us await these interesting accounts from Comrade Plekhanov.] Let us remind Comrade Plekhanov that both conversations took place two days before those cited by him, and occurred in the Landolt* restaurant before dozens of listeners.1***

* — general strike of generals. Ed.
** — he is a man, and they are old women. Ed.
*** On the reverse of the manuscript there is the following note in Lenin's hand:
"Givray at the corner [word illegible] ) Gen[eva]. Dufour13. Rue du Stand. 57
(4 rooms)
) Two apartment managers at Givray".
Ed.

1 This chronological note by V. I. Lenin proves that the two conversations of Plekhanov cited above took place two days before Sunday, November 1st, that is, on Friday, October 30th, when a private meeting took place (at the Landolt café) of members of the League, Bolsheviks, together with 11 candidates from the supporters of the majority, whom the League Bolsheviks projected to bring into the membership of the League (see "Lenin Miscellany" VII, document 88, pp. 222–223). It is beyond doubt that at this meeting ("before dozens of listeners") Plekhanov conducted the aforementioned "conversations."